Bound Together by More than Friendship
by Goatis
Summary: What can happen when student and teacher are captured by the enemy...who will end up protecting whom?  KakaSaku
1. Chapter 1

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 1

Cell Mates

(Kakashi)

"Get in there!" I was pushed forward into the dark cell and fell awkwardly to my knees trying to stay upright. If I didn't keep myself up I would find myself with a mouthful of dirt and unable to get up again, my arms were bound together wrist to elbow so that I couldn't form any seals with my hands, not even one handed seals. I sighed as the door slammed shut behind me, wishing at least for the distraction of Make out Paradise. But they had taken my book along with all my nin-do and even my clothes. The only replacement I was given was a dirty wraparound loincloth that was so small I was sure it wouldn't last. But at least they had let me keep my mask, of course I had told them that I had a terrible disease that was transmitted through the air and that the mask prevented it from escaping and infecting others. Whether or not they believed that they didn't try to take it from me after that.

I glanced around the small dank prison cell and wanted nothing better than to curl up on a mattress and rest, but they hadn't even provided that or a blanket for that matter.

"Kakashi-San?" Came a voice through the bars, and my heart plummeted to the floor, I thought I had given them enough of a distraction and time to escape. Had the fools tried to rescue me as they had in the Wave country with Zabuza and the water prison? No, they weren't that foolish to take on so many opponents by themselves.

Kakashi-San? Are you all right?" The voice came again. I grunted in acknowledgement and pushed myself back up from my knees and staggered in the direction of the voice. She'd sounded so weak, I had to know if she was alright. I remembered telling Sasuke in the wave country that I would never let a member of my team die. But perhaps even I couldn't keep that promise. "Please not that." I said in my head, over and over. "Please don't let that have happened."

I dropped to my knees beside her body and fell sideways against the wall breathing heavily. The beating had taken its toll on my body as had the Sharingan use, I was lucky to still be able to move at all right now.

"Are you all right, Sakura?" I whispered through my mask and into her ear as I panted trying to take deeper breaths. "They didn't...I mean have they-" I couldn't bring myself to speak the words to the young kunoichi. Tears spilled out of my eyes, as I slumped further down the wall. I only hoped Naruto and Sasuke had managed to get to safety and were even now making their way back to the village. If we were fortunate Tsunade would send out an infiltration and retrieval team for us and the two hotheaded genin's would remain safely in the village while they did.

"I'm fine Kakashi-San, I don't know why but they didn't do or even say anything to me once they captured me. They just tied me up here. I'm afraid I used up most of my chakra though just trying to hold the genjutsu long enough for the boys to get away. It was all I could do."

It was strange to hear her sound so defeated I hadn't heard a tone like that from her since before she started training with Godaime and before we had recovered Sasuke from Orochimaru. She generally also didn't take chances like that. Usually it was Naruto or even Sasuke who would try to do something noble and stupid. They should have all just stayed as a team and gotten away they were stronger as a three man cell than a two man unit. Besides Sakura was the healer, if the were hurt, they wouldn't have anyone to patch them up now. Not that it was a worry for Naruto, but Sasuke while an Uchiha was still just a normal human and would heal like one. His Uchiha blood helped him run faster but it wouldn't do squat for healing.

I sighed, but I couldn't say anything. I had done the same thing, sacrificing myself to save the rest of the team. I just wished I had been the only one, and I just wish I knew why these people, this group, whoever they were, had been so intent on capturing us. They weren't enemy ninja, but they were well trained. It was as if I were fighting an army of Rock, Lee's.

"Don't blame yourself Sakura, I'm sure your efforts allowed the boys to make it to safety and even now reinforcements may be coming." But even as I said it I didn't believe it myself. While the boys were fast, they wouldn't even be halfway back to Konoha yet. And as I thought this I knew I could no longer hold off the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 2

Sadistic Laughter

(Sakura)

When Kakashi lost consciousness I thought the worst for the moment. But he had fallen splayed over my legs which were chained strangely at the knees and thus I had to sit with them straight out in front of me. I couldn't check for life signs with my arms tied the way they were behind me but I could hear his ragged breathing and feel the warmth of it on my leg. Only that made me realize how cold it was in the cell they had thrown us. At least they hadn't stripped me of my clothing the way they did to Kakashi.

He lay across my legs shivering slightly even in his Sharingan induced coma, I had seen it once before. Back in the Wave country when he had used it too much and we had still been team 7 three genin's under a jounin sensei. Now we were Team Kakashi, partners and equals members of the team if with different skills and ranks. Of course I was hoping that his passing out was only from Sharingan exhaustion, and that he hadn't sustained some internal injury that I couldn't see or detect at the moment. Not that I was of any real use to him like this, even if I did have enough chakra my hands weren't able to form any seals. And in my condition right now, even if I could form seals I wouldn't have enough chakra to do much more than look at the internal injuries. Maybe just...a little...sleep. I thought sluggishly, sliding down the side of the wall unable to catch myself as the darkness rose up to meet me.

I woke up in a brightly lit room, and was blinded for a moment at the large light shining in my face. Like the light above your chair in the dentists office that shines in your mouth so the oral hygienist and dentist can see your teeth.

Only this light was used with a different intent. I raised my arm to block the light and had to also raise my other arm as they were now linked together at the wrist by iron wrist chains. They clinked together as I laid my hands back in my lap and stared at my hands.

I could form seals now! I started getting excited, escape they had made possible!

"I wouldn't if I were you." Said a voice from the darkness beyond the light. I squinted out into the shadows of the room trying to make out the figure. There near the wall, tall and thin. I could feel others ranged about the room in the shadows behind me and faint chakra signatures outside the door. "You won't be allowed to use techniques anymore, they won't help you escape." Came the voice again, the female voice I realized now. The voice was muted and harsh, but still had that feminine tone quality to it.

"Who are you people?" I asked the shadow. "What do you want with us?" The women just laughed. That pissed me off, Inner Sakura started screeching and I wanted to cover my ears to block out the noise. But I knew that wouldn't do any good, the voice was inside my head. I pushed her voice down but I got angry too. "I demand an answer!" I yelled back at the one I could see. The laughter stopped.

"You are in no position to be making demands of any kind, little girl." The voice was dripping with scorn. I clenched my fist, even without making seals I could probably take the women. I didn't know if they could use ninja techniques, but all I needed to do was land one hit on them and it would be over. My muscles tensed, and then relaxed. Now is not the time to tip my hand, calm down Sakura, Inner Sakura was still shrieking for me to lay a beating on the other women. But I still didn't have enough information to do anything. Better to let them think that I can't do anything and take them by surprise later on when I have more information.

"Fine." I said, still trying to rein in my temper. "But, you dragged me in here for something, so if it's not to brag about your pathetic organization or whatever then on with it, I'm sick of sitting here listening to your inane laughter at my expense." I'd rather be back in the cell with Kakashi ascertaining his injuries and seeing if I could help him. I wondered how much time had passed since I had passed out, and if Kakashi had awoken yet.

"You're right, we did bring you here for a reason." The owner of the voice stepped forward a bit, but not enough for me to make out her face in the shadows. So I just glared back at her. She just laughed again, this time with what seemed real amusement. "Oh, it's going to be fun to break you in." My blood ran cold, as her sadistic laughter continued, I didn't like the sound of that at all.


	3. Chapter 3

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 3

The Revelation

(Naruto)

I panted trying as hard as I could to take a deep breath while bent over Sasuke's prone body in the small cave we were hiding.

"Chikusho!" I whispered the curse in between breaths cursing myself, and those guys who were relentlessly following us. We couldn't head back to Konoha, we couldn't even move from where we were. Sasuke had taken a blow to the head after diving forward to protect his friend and had been knocked out. When that happened ten more fighters had rushed forward to finish the job.

I had to use the Kyuubi's chakra to escape and find this cave, and I would just have to wait for Sasuke to wake up before we could go any further. Trying to go on while carrying Sasuke would be suicide it'd just make me an even bigger target.

I took out a soldier pill and bit into it. All of our rations and extra camping gear and supplies had been lost in the initial rush, and I was running out of stamina fast. I needed to keep my energy up so that I could continue standing guard. If they found us with Sasuke still out I would be hard pressed in these confines to escape with him even with the Kyuubi's chakra loan. There was a groan at my feet. It looked like Sasuke was waking up.

"Uso tonkachi, what did you do? Ooh, my head." Sasuke winced as he tried to slowly get up. He was on his hands and knees but couldn't seem to get up any farther than that.

"Don't push yourself teme, rest some more. You took a solid hit to the back of your head, I don't know much about medical stuff but I'm surprised that you're awake so soon.

"Baka, what do you know. I'm stronger than that." Sasuke pushed himself backwards so that he could sit up, wincing as he did. But then he grabbed his head with both hands, moaning in pain.

"I told you not to get up, now who's the baka?" I would have pointed and laughed under normal circumstances, but Kakashi and Sakura were out there somewhere either in dire circumstances like us separately or I didn't like to think about it, but they could have been captured or even…Just thinking about it made my hand twitch, I hated just sitting around when people precious to me were in trouble. But I couldn't do anything, I looked down at my hands and clenched them in frustration. I couldn't even get us back to Konoha for backup and I didn't know what to do for Sasuke. He seemed well enough, but I doubted that he would be able to move fast like we would need to, and he'd never allow me to carry him if he could prevent it. But knocking him back out didn't seem like such a good idea either.

"It looks like were going to be here awhile." I said in frustration, glaring at Sasuke. As if it was his fault, it wasn't but I felt like glaring at him and being angry at someone. Besides, he shouldn't have jumped in front of me like that, I would have been fine after such a hit and healed fast if there was any real damage. Thanks to the Kyuubi I could take a lot of punishment, but Sasuke couldn't.

(Sasuke)

My head felt like I had a kunai stuck through the back of it while I slept instead of just a punch to the back of the head, but it wasn't as bad as when I'd woken up. It felt like my head was split in half when I first regained consciousness.

We had finally lost our attackers with the traps I had set in the trees behind us once we reached the Konoha forest once more. I was traveling as fast as I could go but I could barely keep up with Naruto due to the pain in my head that had begun shooting down my spine with every branch that I touched.

"Na-ruto." I tried to call out as I missed my footing and started to plummet to the ground. Naruto was there, just a flash of yellow and my arm had been thrown over his shoulder helping support me as we reached the end of the tree line. And then we were inside the gates, dashing past shocked villagers and into the hospital, where I was unceremoniously dumped on some nurses.

"I'll report to Obachan, have those doctors fix you up, and when I get back we can go get Kakashi and Sakura-chan." And then he was gone, and the nurses and doctors were staring down at me. I felt the tip of the needle in my arm and the pain in my head seemed to dull as the world around me went fuzzy and I decided to close my eyes, for just a few minutes.


	4. Chapter 4

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 4

Dealing with the pain

(Sakura)

I tried to stop the shaking in my hands as I knelt painfully next to Kakashi. He was still unconscious. But I laid my hand on his forehead while checking behind me on the cell door to make sure that none of the guards were checking up on us.

There was no one at the door, I formed the seals and laid my hand on Kakashi's forehead to begin assessing the damage. Immediate pain ran down my arm from the shoulder to the elbow and I pulled my hand back feeling slightly dizzy and confused.

I glanced down at my arm which had felt for a second as if it were on fire, but there were no wounds that I could see. But now I noticed a metal band almost like arm jewelry but made of plain black unadorned iron encircling my upper right arm. I touched it with my left hand and had to raise up my right with it due to the chains at my wrists.

The arm bracelet felt slightly warm to the touch and I could sense some faint chakra embedded in it and now that I looked closer there appeared to be faint runes carved into the surface at its edges. I tried to pull it off by sliding it down my arm, but it wouldn't budge from that spot. It rested in place snugly against the skin almost as if were clamped on or some sort of sticking technique like a tree climbing exercise variation was used. I tried to dispel the technique but when I summoned my chakra to try pain flooded through my system and my arm felt like it had been slashed open by a katana, and my chakra instead of going to my hands and arms, went to my feet. I gasped in pain and panted a bit trying to take in more oxygen as I waited for the pain to subside. Confusion set in, what kind of technique was this that it could confuse my chakra circulatory system? Or maybe it was confusing my nervous system or the sensory system that relays the messages.

'That must be it.' I thought remembering reading a report written by Shishou during my training about the fight between Kabuto of Sound and Tsunade-sensei just before she became Godaime Hokage. She used a technique like this on Kabuto. It had messed up the signals being sent from his brain to the rest of his body so that when he tried to move his arm his leg would move. This had given her some time to try and heal the wounds she had already sustained from him. Yet he figured out what muscles to think about so that he could move normally again. Why couldn't I change the technique and adapt it much the same way and use the chakra gathered in the soles of my feet? It would be considerably harder to heal that way due to the distance the chakra orders would have to travel from my brain to my toes, not to mention I wouldn't be nearly as nimble with my toes as with my fingers, but in theory I should be able to force chakra from the holes in my feet just the same as I did with my hands. Not to mention I had a little practice doing that while fighting and training.

I would have to draw from the tree climbing and water walking training. But I would only be able to do it if I could learn to work through the pain. Although the more I thought about it the more I thought that maybe the bracelet only worked when chakra was being gathered into the hands while passing the band on my right arm. So perhaps the pain would only last while I was molding chakra throughout my entire body or when chakra was being molded through that specific area. Which meant that with my precise chakra control that I could perhaps mold the chakra while keeping it away from the right arm where the iron band was.

I sighed unhappily and spread my legs out as far as those strange knee chains would allow. I laid my right foot on Kakashi's forehead ignoring the fact that my foot was dirty and that if he woke he'd get an eyeful. I again formed the seals. The pain was immediate as soon as I began gathering chakra. But it ended as soon as I stopped trying to mold it within my body. I concentrated and followed my chakra pathways down through the holes in my feet. It was painful due to the fact that my feet weren't used to emitting this much chakra and the concentration within it was higher than that for sticking to a tree or keeping myself up when water walking.

But I ignored the slight paining of my foot and followed the chakra through the pathways of his brain.

I was right, his Sharingan had overexerted his body though not as badly as the last time I was sure. I concentrated on infusing his brain with the energy he needed have functioning cognitive thought and the higher brain functions enough for him to at least wake up. Restoring the tired synapses to perfect working order, took a long time and a lot of energy. More than it should have.

Working with my feet where I didn't have as precise chakra control was taking more time and energy than it would have if I could simply have used my hands. It felt like the time I tried to imitate monkeys when I was a kid. I was too stubborn to give up, but it hurt my toes and knees every time I tried to pick up a banana and reach up to hand it to myself. Only this was much worse.

I collapsed beside him in exhaustion, I would do more later. I ignored the cold and damp floor, right now I needed to rest. I closed my eyes and sleep immediately enveloped me.


	5. Chapter 5

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 5

Awakening

(Kakashi)

I opened my eyes, and immediately closed them again due to the pain. It felt as if I had been awake for a week strait without allowing my eyes and body proper rest. My eyes felt gritty and burned with fatigue. So I just tried to keep them closed another few minutes.

Then I heard it, there was someone breathing slow and deep next to me cuddled against my side. I blushed immediately thinking about Make out Tactics the book that Jiraya one of the legendary three sannen wrote as the latest in his series of romantic novels.

But then I had to open my eyes. Why was there someone in my house? And more importantly why were they in bed with me?

I turned my head to look at the person and instead stared down at the pink top of Sakura's head. That's when I remembered what had happened.

How many days had it been since I passed out? Two, three, or was it more? Regret and guilt immediately filled my gut. What had happened to Sakura while I was out? Had they harmed her? I had vowed to protect everyone on my team, how could I possibly protect her if I wasn't even strong enough to stay conscious?

I looked down at the nineteen year old girl again, and immediately noticed a difference about her usual fastidious appearance.

Her Hair was dirty and there were streaks of blood clumping the hair together in places. Bruises that were starting to heal decorated her face, arms and abdomen and I was sure other places but I couldn't see them.

She also appeared to be wearing something similar to the 'clothing' that I had been given, slave clothing if my impression was correct. The top was of some coarse dark brown material, it was just about five inches in width and wrapped around her chest to clasp or tie at her back I assumed. I could see her sarong like skirt tied at the side like mine was only slightly longer than mine and reached three fourths of the way down her thigh. But most of the thigh was showing right now due to the cloth falling aside at some moment while she had lain sleeping. I tried to lift my arm to slide the material back over her leg and remembered that my arms were still tied behind my back. I cursed and lay still while I tried to move my arms out of the uncomfortable position even a little, just enough to slide my hand free. I cursed some more, it felt like there were iron bands around my wrists, and I could barely move even a single finger, something was obstructing them.

"Kuso!" I cursed out loud, and then froze as Sakura squirmed in her sleep and snuggled closer into my side. I just raised my eyes to the ceiling, which looked too much like dirt to be anything else. Sakura lay like a warm blanket at my side protection against the cold floor we both lay on. Of course while my right side was near numb from lying on the damp floor, my left side was all sweaty from the close skin to skin contact. I just did my best to look at the ceiling, and ignore the beautiful and nearly naked girl sprawled across my chest, it was impossible to go back to sleep now, but I could control myself so long as I didn't look down.

"Please God, I just need some small miracle, and maybe a little more willpower!" I said in a whisper and turned my head to the right as far aside as I could.

"Kakashi-san? Are you awake?" Sakura lifted her head from my shoulder and I turned back slightly to see her sit up and rub her eyes while yawning. Chains dangled from each wrist. And a chakra destabilizer was attached to her upper arm.

"Sakura, are you all right?" I asked, my eyes on the destabilizer. Her entire arm was red but perhaps that was just from sleeping on it.

"I'm fine, I should be asking you that though. You're covered with injuries and I haven't been able to heal your injuries much with this thing on. She motioned to the iron band affixed to her arm just below the muscle that connected to the shoulder, the deltoids or something. The bracelet was probably attached to the skin and muscles underneath with a chakra link, there was no way to remove it now without crippling Sakura, only another med-nin could remove it safely. I sighed, at least I was conscious now and we could plan some strategy for escape. I started to try and sit up, but was immediately pushed back down by a foot placed firmly on my chest.

Sakura was now standing, her foot still on my chest. Her hands were together as if she were going to form several complicated seals. She took a deep breath-

"What are you doing, Sakura?" I stared up at her trying not to look up her skirt, I had a feeling that like me she wasn't wearing anything underneath it.

"Shush, I'm trying to concentrate." She said her eyes closed. "Just lay there and be still, like a good patient." I watched as she took another deep breath and formed a long series of seals almost too fast for my eyes to catch. Then I saw her face constrict in pain, but she held her stance. Her face relaxed after a few minutes and then to my surprise she began forcing chakra into the wounds on my chest from her foot. Her eyes stayed closed and I could only guess that she saw through the chakra pathways that led from her body to mine and these led her to the wounds. Her foot moved gently yet firmly over my chest as she pushed the healing chakra into wound after wound. Her big toe trailed along the edge of a particularly deep gash near my shoulder, slowly repairing and rebuilding new tissue to close the wound.

My entire body itched from the accelerated healing and ached where the newly healed skin stretched to close each injury. And while it wasn't exactly painful, it was by no means pleasant. Before I knew it she had finished with my chest and started sliding her big toe along the smaller cuts on my arms and shoulders. I tried to just lay there and relax but with so much healing going on it wasn't gonna happen. Suddenly, Sakura's foot left my arm and thumped heavily to the floor. I opened my eyes and looked up at her, but she was gazing down at my chest with heavy lidded eyes.

"Sakura? Are you alright?" I asked as she swayed slightly on her feet. Her eyes shifted to my face and her voice was flat when she spoke.

"I'm fine, it's just harder to concentrate my chakra thru my foot, and it takes more time and chakra to use this method." She dropped down to her knees heavily at my side, and then said. "I'm just really tired right now." And with that she flopped heavily down beside me and was immediately asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 6

Stalled Plans

(Naruto)

"Granny Tsunade, what is the meaning of this?" I waved the piece of paper in front of her face and then slammed it down on her desk.

"It means exactly what it says Naruto. And you had better step back from my desk now or your going to be leaving through the window." She said glaring back up at me dangerously. I took a careful step back from the desk, I never took chances with her saying that anymore. Not since she had actually done it. It's really hard to catch yourself on the side of the building when you've been thrown out with such force.

"Gee, I dunno Granny, MAYBE YOU OUGHTA TELL ME EXACTLY WHY YOU'D LEAVE OUR COMRADES TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES!"

"You really shouldn't argue with me Naruto, else when they come back, I won't bother notifying you." She said, just looking up at him calmly.

"What are you talking about Obachan? What if they're being tortured? What if they can't get away? What if-"

"That is quite enough 'what if's' Naruto. I have a great deal of faith in Sakura and Kakashi's mission competence. And we simply don't have anyone left to send right now."

"Then I'll go back and get them myself!" I shouted, slamming my fists down on her desk

"You could barely get yourself and Sasuke out of there alive, and you think you can go back in by yourself?" She seemed angry again. "I thought you had grown more brains than that in the last few years. But if all you can suggest is a suicide mission with no chance of success, then I am going to restrict you to C and D rank missions again, and post Anbu guards to watch you so that you don't get any ideas about leaving." She stood up with her palm open face down on the desk crumpling some papers that lay there. She leaned over and jabbed a finger in my face menacingly. "And Sasuke is still in the hospital, you should be more worried about the team mate that you know is in danger of dying. Sasuke may never wake up! And you're sitting there yelling at me because you can't go kill yourself too? Kakashi and Sakura would not be thankful for your failed efforts, it may even help get them killed, think about this stuff once in a while! Now get out of my office, you little brat!" I stomped out of her office and slammed the door behind me.


	7. Chapter 7

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 7

The Meeting

(Kakashi)

Despite the healing and the fact that I was still dead tired and recuperating, I couldn't seem to fall back to sleep. And while I felt bad about leaving Sakura on the floor passed out with no blanket, I just had to get up. With difficulty I rolled onto my side, my body protesting every small movement. I silently thanked Sakura and her chakra control for being able to heal me even as much as she did.

My leg muscles screamed as I forced my legs into a position where I could get onto my knees so that I could stand up. I had just made it to my knees when I heard the steps coming down the hall, I had not way of knowing if they were headed here or if they were going elsewhere, so I just froze. I knelt there on the cold floor just waiting, not knowing what would help more to fall back down and pretend to sleep or to stay like I was. In the end I stayed where I was, it would've hurt considerably to fling myself back down onto the ground. Despite my reservations, I also knew Sakura would be angry if I injured myself practically on purpose right after she just exhausted herself trying to heal me.

Finally the footsteps were across from our cell door, and stopped. There was the jangling of keys and then the sound of a key entering a lock, the old fashioned skeleton key lock clicked and echoed through the dark chamber. Then a bolt was pulled back and a second bolt. When the door finally opened it moved surprisingly noiselessly and spilled light into the room nearly blinding me as it caught my eyes which had adjusted to the dark.

"Get out here." The rough female voice snapped, she sounded mad already. Not a very good sign at all. It made me wonder if it would have been a better idea to just pretend I was sleeping injuring myself might get me some points with the woman who apparently was either at that time of the month or just naturally nasty.

"Hurry up!" She said pushing me forward down the hall and leaving one of the men behind her to re-lock the cell so that the sleeping Sakura would not escape. Perhaps I could try some of Jiraya's tips from Make out Tactics on her. It might distract her enough for her to give me information we could use to escape or at the very least perhaps it might help me stay outta whatever nasty thing she had in mind for me right now. She didn't exactly have the most pleasant smile on her face right now.

"So," I said conversationally as if we were walking side by side down the sidewalk and were just introducing ourselves. "Why would a pretty lady like you wanna resort to kidnapping? I mean if you wanted a date all you had to do was ask." She snorted in derision, but didn't say anything.

"That was actually pretty cute." I said leaning forward and trying to get a look at her expression. "You know I'm available anytime, how about we go out on a date? I got an elbow in the mouth for my troubles. I figured I was doing more harm than good so I fell silent as I followed the woman the rest of the way down the hall. She pushed me in front of her then and into a room with only a chair that sat in the middle of the room. Before I even had time to scan the room a voice came out of the darkness in the far corner of the room.

"I thought I told you to bring him here when he was unconscious." The female voice said, clearly irritated.

"No prob." Said the voice, and then there was a sharp pain to the back of my head and I was swallowed once more in darkness.

My head hurt and I struggled to stay unconscious. But of course as soon as I realized that I was regaining consciousness I could feel the sharp pain in my head that refused to let me sink back into the blessed darkness of sleep. I moaned at the pain in my head as I tried to lift it and straighten my neck. Everything hurt again, and I shouldn't hurt this much, not after all the healing Sakura had done. I grunted and was able to open my eyes and squint into the light that was aimed directly at my face. But I knew that interrogation technique put the prisoner in the spotlight and then use intimidation to get the prisoner to give information they never meant to.

I instead looked outside the circle of light I sat in, there was a figure just behind the light hidden in the shadowy room. I tried to turn my head to see the others that I felt ranged around the room but the pain in the back of my head prevented any kind of side to side movement, it wasn't happy with up and down movement either. Though I did notice that I had been gifted with the same iron armband that Sakura wore on her right arm, it was even in the same exact spot hers was in.

I sighed, but at least my arms were now chained in front instead of that uncomfortable position they had been in. I reached up and tried tenderly rubbing the back of my head ignoring the others in the room, they'd talk to me when they were good and ready.


	8. Chapter 8

I'll Protect you With my Life

Chapter 8

(Kakashi)

"What designation do you go by, dog?" The voice spoke and sounded surprisingly similar to the other woman but with a slight inflection and a little more femininity.

"Why don't you tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." I didn't bother with the smile and flirt routine, my mouth still hurt from that hit to my teeth. I was betting they were going to try violence again, and this time I'd at least make sure that I deserved it. But I didn't really want to give out my name, I was in that idiotic Bingo book after all.

"Fine dog, I don't need you're name, I'll just send your description out with the letter. So, does your boss like you?" She just went on as if we were having a normal conversation and she was making some sort of checklist and marking everything off.

"What?" Was she talking about Tsunade, or was I missing something?

"The young lady we captured with you, your boss, does she care for you?" Why did they think that Sakura was my superior? Did Sakura mislead them for some reason?

"What's it to you?" I figured it might be better to leave that as an open ended question. I didn't think it was a good idea to answer that question either, if they thought I liked her then they might try to torture her for information that they thought I might have. If I said I didn't then they might kill her and do something else repulsive. The question was a double edged sword. And what were all these questions leading up to anyway? The whole situation was fairly confusing, they had stripped us of our clothing and possessions and we were now wearing clothing akin to small towels tied about our bodies suggesting a slave status. But if that were the case, then why hadn't they put us to work? And why go out of their way to capture ninja's as slaves? Surely if that was what they were after, there were easier targets.

For all the appearances here, it still seamed like there was a deeper purpose to this, and what was this letter she had mentioned? Perhaps a ransom letter? An exchange? Did Konoha have something that they wanted? Or was that a ruse and it was us that had something?

I decided the best way to end this interrogation was just to ignore them. They probably had more information about us than I'd want them to have as it was.

"Don't ignore us dog!" Came the woman's voice that had led me here as she bashed me over the head. A swift blow with some hard object landed on the back of my shoulders and my back arched involuntarily.

"That is enough!" The woman in front of me said menacingly. "This is my interrogation, if violence is warranted I will order it! We are not dogs, so behave yourself or I will throw you to them! Am I understood?" There was silence thick and palpable around the room, no one breathed. Then the woman walked out from behind me and knelt in front of the woman in charge.

"Forgive me, I lost myself for a moment. It won't happen again." The woman all but shook with fear. What did she mean when she said that? Was it a metaphor for something else, or like me did she really mean that she would give her loyal subordinate over to a group of men to do with as they wished? Or was it a pack of real dogs? Either way the threat was apparently real enough that the woman, when she lifted her head continued backward away from her still crawling on her knees.

I didn't like the look of this, if she had so much power over her own people that they were terrified of her, how much more would she be willing to do to some stranger?

I was led out of the chamber later and dragged to another section of tunnel. At first I was worried that they were separating us but I saw another guard leading a dazed and tired looking Sakura along. The guards stopped at another cell door and we were led inside to a different cell.

The last cell must have been closer to the surface as it had a dirt ceiling while the new cell was cleaner, it was completely made of stone. I sighed in frustration. This made it harder.

I was placed in the center of the room opposite Sakura and for a moment I didn't understand what was going on, I thought they would just leave us there and walk away again. Instead I heard the sound of a heavy link chain sliding along the ground. I turned toward the sound only to be jerked in the other direction once more before I felt something slide around my neck. I would have struggled at this point as I felt the thing snap closed around my neck, but Sakura was standing there her eyes wide as a short sword was held at her throat.

In the next second it was too late, we both had the metal bands wrapped securely around our necks. I could see the chain trailing from Sakura's, it hung in the air behind her and led to the wall behind her in through a circular hole. Where did the other end of the chain lead?

The guards moved to our bound hands and switched the cuffs from one wrist to another so that Sakura's right wrist was cuffed to my left, and my right was cuffed to her left. Then they turned and left shutting us in complete darkness, without even a window in the door to let the flickering torchlight in, it felt like we were shut in a dark smothering closet.

"Sakura, have you found anything else out about the layout of this maze of tunnels?" I asked, the longer we stayed here the worse this place got. Now that I had my hands free to do seals perhaps we could do something. I waited for a reply but all I heard was the rustling of chains and then I was suddenly jerked backward sharply by the chain around my own neck. I was abruptly brought to a halt as our wrist cuffs cut off my flight backwards short. I guess I knew where that chain led now.

I pulled myself upright and forced my body to move forward against the neck restraint and felt for her wrist to pull her up so that I wasn't strangled. I pulled her up from where she had fallen to her knees only half conscious. It was difficult to pull her up with our wrists bound together as they were, everywhere my hands went hers went as well making it hard to do anything with her own arms in the way.

I managed to get her standing and she leaned against me as if drugged and unable to hold herself up. Her legs buckled again and I gripped her back tightly with my right arm and tried to shift her with my left.

I ended up just picking her up and supporting her by clasping my hands together underneath her and allowing her to rest against my forearms while she lay slumped against me her face in the hollow of my throat breathing out against the base of my neck and sending chills down my spine. It was a very bad situation. I never would have dreamed it myself, the kunoichi just lay limp in my arms, dressed in nothing more than scraps of cloth while I wore nothing more than a loin cloth both of us connected and weighed down by the chains that bound us.

It was something that could only have come from "Make out Paradise", and yet it hadn't. I'd read it enough to know there wasn't any such passage. I tried very hard not to think about the face that she probably had nothing on under the skirt that was the only thing separating our skin, I tried not to think about her breath on my neck or her damp skin and breasts rubbing against me with each breath she took. But it was impossible with her murmuring and moaning as she nestled even more firmly against my bare chest.

I let out a sigh and leaned my head back trying to ignore the muted whispers. I thought about Naruto and Sasuke instead, hoping that they'd gotten back to the village alright. And while I hoped for rescue I also hoped that they wouldn't be part of the retrieval team sent back out for us. I concentrated on thinking what we would do once Sakura woke and I could put her down. I tried to make up a plan of escape, but every plan I devised seamed to involve using a jutsu, that I could only use with my hands. If Sakura weren't so run down perhaps I could have just asked her to concentrate some chakra into one of her hands or a foot to smash the chains and knock the door out of its frame, but she was unconscious and I couldn't do anything without my hands.

I glanced down at the pink locks draping over the face of the woman that slept quietly in my arms and thought, "Well, I guess it can wait."


	9. Chapter 9

I'll Protect you with my Life

Chapter 9

(Sakura)

Six months later…

I opened my eyes and groaned as pain laced through my head, closing them immediately against the harsh fluorescent glare.

"It looks like she's regaining consciousness." An unfamiliar voice said. It was strangely muffled and sounded harsh like the pain surrounding her in a haze that confused her senses. Her body felt numb in places and in others it felt as though a thousand needles were being jabbed into her tender skin.

"Good, now perhaps she can tell us…" The words faded away as I tried to breathe and felt the pain in my chest just trying to take in enough air for a shallow breath.

"Quick, her airway is constricting, she's having a reaction to the drugs…" And then there was nothing, just the silent blackness of unconsciousness and the occasional indiscernible whisper that I couldn't quite grasp.

The second time I woke the light hurt just as much and I closed my eyes against it once more trying to shut out the pain. I felt tired and everything hurt. I heard the sound of some papers being dropped and then there were footsteps someone was running. No, two or three someone's were running, they were coming closer.

Even with the pain I felt the strong urge to run, they were coming and I couldn't fight. I struggled against the bindings holding me down unable to even lift my arms. "Kakashi…" I whispered, calling for the man who had been my constant companion as we tried to make our way home, fleeing the constant pursuit of those that had captured us for their own still mostly unknown reasons. "Kakashi…" I called again but there was no response and the running footsteps were getting closer. "Kakashi…" I called a little louder trying to speak above the harsh croaking of my own throat. It burned to use my throat but I needed for him to respond. "Kakashi…Kakashi where are you? Kakashi…Answer me…" I continued to cry out weakly as the feet came to a halt next to me. "Kakashi…" My voice broke off refusing to cooperate as I tried to call for my comrade.

"Sakura, Sakura open your eyes." The female voice sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. It must be a trick! I tried moving away from the voice but I couldn't move and the pain was too great for me to open my eyes. I felt fingers on my face trying to force them open. I struggled against them and convulsed in pain as hands pressed me down.

"Shut the lights off!" The familiar voice shouted from next to me. "Bring me a tranquilizer, quickly!" The voice shouted as I thrashed about trying to free myself. There was a sharp pain in my arm once more and then everything went black again.

I opened my eyes to darkness, and for once I didn't awake to the feeling of the throbbing pain in my head. I could see a small amount of light coming from somewhere to my left. I turned my head to find that I was lying on a narrow bed. There was just enough light in the room to realize that I was in a hospital. An IV was attached to a saline drip and there was a heart monitor beeping away recording that I was still alive. The room was empty, except for me. "Where was Kakashi?" I thought to myself panicking briefly at the thought that he hadn't made it. My heart rate sped up for a couple of beats before it resumed its steady pace. "No, Kakashi couldn't be dead, I just need to go find him." I thought to myself

I sat up with difficulty and the pain immediately returned and a wave of dizziness washed over me that threatened to put me on my back in the bed again. But I gritted my teeth and sat still for a moment. The dizzy spell faded and I pulled the IV out of my arm and threw it back at its stand. I slid my legs slowly out from under the blanket and off the edge of the bed feeling for the floor.

I shivered as my bare feet came into contact with the cold tiles, the instinct to pull them back under the warmth of the blanket was strong. But instead, I gritted my teeth and forced my feet all the way down onto the floor. I ignored the pain that suddenly flooded through my body as I put all my strength into standing.

I was so weak and tired that my body didn't want to comply, but finally I managed to stand my shaking legs able to take slow unsteady steps forward.

The first thing I did was unplug the heart monitor and pull off the suction cups that were stuck to my chest. It hurt a little for my bruised fingers to pull the sticky suction pads off but I didn't want to walk around with the machine dragging behind me. My shaky legs managed to carry me past the second empty bed in the room as well as the bathroom until I reached the door that led into the hall. And I realized for the first time that I was wearing nothing but a hospital gown that opened in the back. I glanced around until I found the usual thin cotton hospital robe and pulled it on tying it around my waist with the coat tie.

There were two guards at my door that I could see through the window. I didn't have much chakra but I didn't want to have to deal with them trying to keep me from finding Kakashi. I formed the seals of a complicated yet low chakra use genjutsu.

I prepared myself for the pain of using the jutsu, but none came. I pulled back my robe and gown, but sure enough the arm band was still there. It puzzled me, I could feel the chakra being used as it masked me from the glances of the unskilled genjutsu users around me. I pulled open the door slowly, neither of the guards moved. It was suddenly as if everyone was a statue or display window mannequin, they had just suddenly stopped what they were doing, caught within the genjutsu thinking nothing was wrong and only in their heads did the world continue to move on. As quickly as I was able, I staggered down the hall to the nurse's station and searched for the case file for one Hatake Kakashi. Room number D214, shit he was in an entirely different wing of the hospital I cursed. I dragged my body down the hallway leaning on the wall for support till I made it to an elevator. I was on the fifth floor and couldn't even get to the other building with out going down, and I certainly wouldn't be risking my neck on the stairs. I sighed in frustration as I waited for the elevator to ding open.

As soon as they did I stepped inside hearing the ding of one of the opposite elevators I shifted behind the floor panel and quickly pushed door close so that whoever it was wouldn't see me. I prepared the seals for my genjutsu once more and when the doors started to slide open on the second floor I whispered, stationary mind trap no jutsu. The person waiting for the elevator didn't move the people at the welcome desk a short ways away continued to stare blankly at their computer screens and I didn't have much time, I could feel my chakra slipping away by the second. I struggled down the passage to where I knew the walkway leading to D building was and pushed open the doors with my body weight in order to get them open this time.

I was so tired that I felt I could just fall to the ground at any time, I probably would have if I wasn't being held upright by the wall.

There was an abandoned wheel chair ahead a few feet and I managed to pull myself to it before collapsing into it. I could move easier once I managed to get it going. I wheeled sluggishly down the hall until I came to D214 and pushed the door open trying to pull myself through the door.

I ended up on my hands and knees crawling to the bed, I didn't have the strength to push myself back up. I grabbed the chair near his bed and pulled myself forward and up into it, which was only slightly less difficult than standing. I was all sweaty and slipped off a few times before I made it into the seat.

Kakashi laid there, assisted breathing tubes in his nose, heart monitors and IV stand attached to his arms and chest.

"Kakashi?" I called softly trying to form other words to say to him to express how sorry I was. The tears just poured down my face, and the sob that escaped my throat sounded more like something that should have come from the throat of a frog. The croak issued from my own throat and just made the tears fall faster as I leaned in to touch his left hand. His hand squeezed my fingers in a steady grip, but he didn't open his eyes. And I just cried until I fell into the darkness once more.


	10. Chapter 10

I'll Protect you with my Life

Chapter 10

(Sakura)

_"We need to get moving." Kakashi said rousing her gently from the place where she had been dozing lightly against his chest._

"_Have they found us?" I asked struggling to my feet, wincing at the pain from cuts and bruises that had been obtained running barefoot through the treacherous wooded area where they had been hiding and trying to recover their strength enough to make their way back to civilization. _

_They had found that upon escaping that even the surface terrain was unfamiliar. They had no idea where they were, their best hope was to make it to civilization and to find their location and send word to Konoha. But they had yet to be able to get out of these damnable woods. _

"_They haven't found us, not yet, but I can feel them getting closer and we're too weak to fight them still." I just nodded and helped him up. We hadn't found much food, and due to our starvation in that hellhole we were severely overstretched. Stamina had always been Naruto's long suit. I was learning however, that if I didn't push myself beyond my natural limitations that I would be slowing Kakashi down and holding him back. I knew he would kill himself trying to protect me, and I couldn't let that happen._

"_How far away are they?" I asked trying to sense them but I came up with nothing. _

"_They're about a mile away in the canyon that we came through last night. But they're moving a lot faster that we can right now." He gestured to our feet and the remaining cuff that still linked his left wrist to my right._

I woke slowly and shook my head trying to remember the remainder of the dream. I caught glimpses of the memory and it flooded over me in a rush of anger. I wanted to scream and shout and hit something.

Instead I just lay there thinking of the trap we had set up for them, how we had killed every member of the search party. Just the thoughts of how we had worked as a team back to back, unable to move further than a few feet away from each other, and how we had turned that weakness into our advantage.

I again lay in a bed inside a dim room, but this time I could see the curtains pulled closed over the windows to block out the light. I tried to sit up, but couldn't. I found that I was strapped to the bed with leather belts padded on the inside so that they didn't mark my skin. For a moment I was puzzled, then I remembered that the last time I'd fallen asleep I had been slumped across Kakashi's bed.

I immediately became angry again. "How dare they separate us!" Inner Sakura yelled, "He could need us and we wouldn't even know!" I struggled against the gentle bonds and pulled them from the bed using a bit of chakra. I sat up and brushed the straps from my form and then pulled my feet loose before stepping down from the bed.

I felt a lot stronger than last time apparently I was healing pretty well. As I pushed myself to my feet I once again pulled off the offending tubes and wires connecting my to the machines and IV. I found the robe again and pulled it on. I approached the door, but this time I could see a faint glow from the outside of the door before I even tried to open it. The door was stuck fast, I had been sealed in.

"Damn it!" I cursed stomping my foot pettily on the floor. I felt like stomping some more and throwing a screaming tantrum, but my foot hurt enough after the first stomp, and besides I wasn't a child any longer, I was an adult and needed to deal with this like one. So I instead thought about it, and crossed to the windows on the opposite side of the room. Currently they were covered with heavy curtains making it hard to see them in the dark.

I pulled aside the thick fabric and was greeted by moonlight outside the closed window. The window without a seal.

I grinned, and pulled up the window. I may be injured, but underestimating a determined ninja would always leave a "window" of opportunity. I chuckled softly as I pulled myself out onto the ledge. It wasn't very wide, only about ten inches for me to maneuver on. With my bare feet I stood on tiptoe and hugged the building using in my hands and feet to cling to the building.

This was a cinch now that I could use my chakra freely again. I climbed stealthily down the side of the building until I reached the second floor where I opened a window and climbed inside through another room. I was counting on the fact that I assumed the seal on my room would mean that Kakashi hadn't been moved, at least that was my fervent hope as I used a henge to transform into a nondescript nurse that wouldn't stand out too much as I walked the corridors.

I opened the doorway to the hall and stepped out with a clipboard chart in my hand, I pretended to examine it as if I had a list of things to do and then moved on down the hallway toward D-wing. I side stepped several service people making rounds while trying to avoid using a jutsu on anyone, I just wanted to sneak by and get to Kakashi. I needed to know that he was alright.

After so long with just the two of us, back to back, I just didn't feel safe without him by my side.

"_Kakashi!" I screamed as a hard blow landed on the back of his head, one that had been meant for me. He just grunted in pain, and twisted around to lash out with his foot at the offender slamming him to the ground with a kick to the gut and another dead center in his face. _

_We began to run hoping that we could at least make it to the Konoha border, we were so close…_

_We ran, because we knew our lives depended on it. We could barely keep up in a fight while only able to use one hand each. I had been able to break the chains on our other cuff, but the unfortunate drawback of that was that I had broken several bones in my fist. Kakashi had done his best to set the bones, but without my ability to use my hands for seals I couldn't even use healing whenever he tried to use any jutsu's making it harder on him during a battle. This meant the only skills we had at our disposal were my super strength and our taijutsu abilities. Thankfully we weren't fighting ninja's though, that was one boon. But damn it, they were good! And they never gave up, they just kept coming. No matter how many we knocked down, more just seemed to crop up out from under every rock in our path._

_I gritted my teeth as I felt a kunai imbed itself in my back causing me to stumble. Kakashi gripped my elbow and pulled me along so that I didn't fall. He pulled me behind a tree for some cover and started to form the seals for Chidori, I heard him give a loud shriek as the chakra formed around him. It shot out wildly as he concentrated the lightning like chakra into his palm. The sound of thousands of birds permeated the air blocking out all other sounds except his screams. _

_Then he was leaping around the tree, I stumbled trying to keep up with his speed. His hand flashed like lightning as he struck down five men with a single swipe of his chakra filled fist. He was breathing heavily as the small remnants of the group scattered like cockroaches that have suddenly had the lights turned on. _

_The pulsing chakra gradually diminished and faded into nothingness. I let out a sigh of relief, and then turned to Kakashi in time to see him fall to the ground in a dead faint._

I frowned at the memory, had the arm band that they both wore had somehow affected his internal systems, tearing up his lungs and the muscles in both his arms? Or had that been the Chidori itself somehow gone out of control and turning on its maker?

It had been hell on earth to drag him through the forest as we got closer to Konoha. If we hadn't been inside Fire country already we never would have made it.

'We must've been picked up by scouting Anbu.' I thought to myself, remembering how I had collapsed in exhaustion after only a few miles. It made me happy and sad at the same time. I was happy that we had been found and saved, but knowing that I wasn't strong enough to help my teammate when he was in need… It caused a sharp pain in my chest.

He had saved my life so many times, and I couldn't even return the favor properly. It made me feel worse than useless. I realized suddenly that I had been standing outside his door for a few minutes just berating myself, so I glanced around hoping no one had noticed before opening the door and slipping inside.

I let the henge release as I crept cautiously toward his bedside once more. Relief flooded through me and I let out the breath that I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. I took in his improved color and the lack of breathing apparatus' that had seemed to be all that was keeping him alive when I last saw him.

I rushed the last few feet to his bedside and pulled the chair closer to his bed where he lay sleeping. I picked up his hand in my own and held it tightly. His fingers were cold around my own and I rubbed his hand between mine to warm it, and I heard a small grunt escape from his lips. I grinned at his grimace and grabbed his other hand doing the same, trying to force some warmth into him. He had poor circulation and was always cold, or so he'd said. He said that was the reason he'd never minded it when I sprawled on top of him in the night, he said that was the only time he felt truly warm.

I looked down at him for a few more seconds thinking, and then ever so carefully I climbed up into the bed beside him. I snuggled up to his chilly frame wrapping him in my warmth I was able to feel useful, but more importantly, safe.


End file.
